Antennas

Operating Interests

• Digital HF Modes, particularly BPSK31.
• DX, safe-and-sane, non-competitive.
• CW, still hoping to break the 20 wpm barrier.
• Computer-to-radio communications, TenTec Orion control software.
• Linux and Python software for Amateur Radio
• Designing QSL cards -- some recent editions.
• Writing about all the above. New developments posted in my blog.

Current Major Equipment

• Ten-Tec 565AT - Orion with Antenna Tuner (See the AA6E Orion Log for the story of my initial reactions to this rig in 2004.)
• Elecraft XV 144 Transverter
• Heath SB-220 Amplifier with AG6K modifications
• Begali Simplex Morse key
• Kenwood TS-520S Transceiver (1.8 - 30 MHz, vintage ca. 1975)
• Heathkit SA-2060A Antenna Tuner
• Icom IC-R8500 Receiver (0.1 - 2000 MHz)
• SteppIR 3-element tunable Yagi at approximately 40 ft
• Cushcraft 10-element, 2 meter Yagi
• 80 meter half-wave dipole. (useful on 30 M)
• 40 meter half-wave dipole
• Icom Discone Antenna (30 - 1000 MHz)

Other Equipment

• AMD Athlon XP 2000+ computer, 1024 MB, Fedora Linux, VMware Workstation, triple sound interfaces
• Ten-Tec Heil Microphone
• LP-100 Digital Power Meter (kit from N8LP)
• Z100 tuning aid for CW, etc. (kit from Clifton Laboratories)
• RIGblaster Pro interface (sound card to transceiver, turns out this is hardly needed in my setup.)
• PSKmeter monitor
• Heathkit SA-5010 "µMatic" Keyer
• Bencher Morse Key

Station History

Notable Rigs:

• Heathkit AR-3 receiver - where it all began, ca 1955
• Hallicrafters SX-111 receiver (ca 1960)
• Hallicrafters HT-20 transmitter (ca 1957)
• Kenwood TS-520S transceiver (ca 1977)
• Icom R8500 receiver (2002)
• Ten-Tec Orion transceiver (2004)